The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-03-26
Common Sense About Lent.
Lancaster (Pa.) Examiner.

:
| The origin of the Lenten fast is in
volved in some doubt, but the better
opinion refers its institution rather tc
ecclesiastical than to apostolic authority.
Gregory the Great, in the year 500, es-
tablished the Lenten season as it is now
observed, that is, beginning on the
fourth day previous to the sixth Sunday
before Easter and terminating upon
Easter Sunday.
In the Greek Church the fast begins
on the seventieth day before Easter, OF
Septuagesima Sunday.
1t is believed that this season was in
stituted as a preparation for the great
anniversaries of the crucifxion and res
direction, and in commemoration OF
Christ's fast of forty days in the wilder
ness. In carrying out this idea the Ro-
mish church still requires fasting
throughout the entire time of Lent, to
the extent of allowing but one meal a
day; but the rigor of this rule has been
much abated, both by indulgence of the
church authorities and by custom. The
Protestant Episcopal church does not
insist so strongly upon abstinence from
particular kinds of food, but enjoins up
on its adherents prayer and self-intro-
spection and a sacrifice of selfish pleas
ures and amusements for the good of
others, and urges that the lenten season
be special occasion for charity and
good works.
Considered from a purely hygienic
standpoint, Lent has useful function
to perform. The change from con-
slant flesh diet, which the observance of
this fast makes necessary, to say nothing
of the small quantity of food eaten, is
beneficial to every one except children
and invalids, who are especially exempt
from its requirements. To those who
do not adopt this rule, the cessation
from the round of gayeties, which fills
up so much of the rest of the year, af-
fords needed rest and change. The
| giving up of parties and theaters and
other amusements of society, while it
has no lofty purpose in itself, operates
to refresh and invigorate the minds and
bodies of the devotees of fashion, and
to restore them to the normal condition
of health, which late hours and the de-
mands of society have infringed upon.
There are two aspects of the Lenten
season, however, in which it is neither
useful nor desirable. One is that in
which it is observed simply in obedience
to the rules of the church, without any
thought of its meaning or purpose; the
other is that in which it is kept with
strictness bordering upon superstition,
and in which the idea of renunciation
of innocent pleasures is carried to excess.
1t is obvious that if Lent is to serve
any useful purpose beyond the purely
physical it cannot be kept under either
of these conditions. An unthinking
and unreasoning subserviency to rules
and regulations, or ecclesiastical can
mons, no matter how wise or just they
may be, can contain no element of
moral improvement or advancement.
An obssryanes ef 1s.;s4ssS G esss IS Se@-,o -.
moral or spiritual grace on him who keeps
it; he is obedient and nothing more,
and if one does simply what he is re-
quired to do there is no merit in his ac-
ton.
On the other hand, self-sacrifce and
abnegation has in itself no fine quality,
nothing elevating or ennobling. 10
give up pleasure and amusements simply
for the sake of making the sacrifice is in
no respect meritorious. 1t is of no
higher order than the blind devotion of
the followers of Juggernaut or the self
inflicted tortures of the fakirs of India.
Self-denial, to be the moral tonic for
which it is intended, must have with it
the element of altruism. 1t must be
practiced not for the feeling of discom-
fort and unrest which it involves, but
with pure and lofty purpose of bene-
fitting others, either in a material way
or by the force of example.
The absolute abandonment of the
dearest pleasures we have known during
the season of Lent, can, in itself, be
productive of no good results, unless it
be done in the proper spirit. The Die
ty of the new dispensation is God OF
love, not of vengeance. He does not
need to be propitiated with sacrifices
and burnt offerings, or the blood OF
lambs and goats. He does not demand
that innocent pleasures shall be dropped
for a season in order that his wrath may
be placated by their abandonment. He
has fixed no canon by which forty days
ofeach year shall be especially devoted
to prayer and repentance. On the con-
trary, the whole doctrine of the Chris
tian religion is based upon the self-sac-
rifice of the Son of God made manifest
in the flesh as a propitiation once for
all for all sins of the world, and the test
of Christianity is belief in him and in
his sacrifice, not in works of superero-
cation.
The true use, then, of the Lenten sea-
son is not that we may sit in sackcloth
and ashes, bewailing our sins; not that
we may set ourselves apart from pleasure
or recreation of all kinds; not that we
may follow the observances ofthe Church
in eating and drinking; but that we
may renew our dormant conscience,
cruelty our evil wishes and desires, cul-
tivate peace, charity and good will with
all around us, and receive in this way
an accession of spiritual strength for the
never -ceasing conflict which we all must
| wage.
This is the conclusion of the whole
matter; that the lenten fast is only de-
sirable or expedient as it is kept in a
spirit of humanity and charity. AS has
been we'll said:
To bow the heart in deep humility,
To do good work in kindliest charity,
To feed the homeless poor the Lord hath sent,
This is to rightly keep thy fast of Lent.
H@One Sunday morning a clergyman
was greatly annoyed by an unusual
amount of coughing among his congre-
CATION. He had not strong voice,
and could only be distinctly heard when
the people were quite still and attentive.
As the coughing went on and even grew